to view the Affordable Housing Plan - Town of North Andover

IV.
COMMUNITY PRESERVATION ACT
The Community Preservation Act (CPA) is an enabling statute that allows municipalities, at local
option, to assess a surcharge on local property taxes not to exceed 3%. Matching funds,
depending upon the amount available, would be provided through fees collected at the Registry
of Deeds. Currently, all 103 cities and towns that have approved CPA are receiving matching
grants of 100% through 2004. The statute clarifies that at a minimum, a 5% matching grant
would be provided.
At least 10% of all funds generated through CPA must be expended on each of the three
delineated priorities of the CPA statute – affordable housing, open space, and historic
preservation. The remaining 70% of the funds collected can be allocated for any combination of
the three.
North Andover adopted the Community Preservation Act in 2001 and since that time,
approximately twenty-four projects have been funded in the areas of historic preservation, open
space, recreation and in the housing realm, funding this affordable housing plan and a first time
homebuyers program.
Throughout the Commonwealth, a number of communities have designated a significant amount
of CPA funding for affordable housing projects. Some of the proposed and completed projects
that have been done and are being done illustrated in the CPA database include: 9
• Acton, 2005 - $200,000: To purchase two condominium units in Acton for deedrestricted
affordable rental housing for families.
• Acton, 2005 - $25,000: To the Acton Community Housing Corporation for a study to
determine the feasibility of creating housing units for low and moderate income
households on a Town-owned parcel at 214 Central Street and 28 Willow Street.
• Acton, 2005 - $25,000: To the Acton Community Housing to establish a Community
Housing Fund for the creation, preservation, and support of community housing.
• Amherst, 2005 - $50,000: To begin the process of developing affordable housing on
Town-owned land adjacent to Olympia Dr. A consultant will be hired to do predevelopment
work on the site.
• Bedford, 2003 - $230,000: CPA funds are being contributed toward construction of 10
affordable units of housing on just over four acres of town-owned land. The rental
housing will be built on 1.2 acres of the land and the rest will be preserved for passive
recreation.
9 Massachusetts Community Preservation Act [INTERNET] http://www.communitypreservation.org/ProjectsSearchResults.cfm
“CPA Search Results,” 18 January 2006.
North Andover Affordable Housing Plan
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